Rubber heel and method of manufacturing the same



L. s. WHITE HEAD AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed Apri1 28 1924 n ll firr V //////%I Y Inventor leofiiifll'iltllead Patented Dec. 14, 1926.

c siaaaa LEO S; WHITE I-IEAD, OF, AKRON, OHIO.

RUBBER, HEEL AND METHon or MANUFAGTUEINGLTHESAME.

' Application filed April 28,

This invention relates to rubber heels e and to the method of manufacturing them, and more particularly to theplacement in andreceive thenails or other fastenings by I I i ]ect1onsto present PIELClSlCQ,I have devised the heel of the usual Washers which are molded in selected positions in the rubber Imeans of which the heel is secured to the in part of my prior application,

I ments-to the rubber under -10 shoe, such washers serving as reinforcethe nail heads to prevent the rubberheel from being pulled over the nails. v

My present application is a continuation Ser. No. 567,978, filed June 13, 1922, in which I showed a machine for automatically inserting washers in heel blanks'by this imethod. he usual process of manufacturing rubber heels, the rubber heel blanks 01' biscuits, ofuncured or semicu'red rubber com- Upound, are placed in a multl-cav tymetal .mold and subjected to suitable heat and pressure to cause the compound to com-V pletely fillthe mold. "xThe nail receiving ,Washers for each heel are customarily 'positioned upon v shouldered V ingfrom one of the mold members sectional mold, and the biscuitor u'nvucan--,

of' the ized heel is placed on these pins and is pressed into theheel cavities of the'cooper ating mold member, so that when the members are closed, the washers are forced into and embedded within the body of the heel blank in the proper relationship which they I of the molds The Washers aresmall an are to bear to each other in the finished heel. v

Heretofore the practice has been for the molder to place the washers one at a time,

it is difiicult for the 'pressme n, avho neces sarily needto be-strong, active men in order [to handle the heavy multi 'cavity molds commonly used, toaccustom their fingers to that in placing man does not take the trouble toretrieve it the tiny washers.

the transposition from the bulky molds to I v Moreover,the molds as they come fromthe curing ovens are hot so i ilotpins,-the pressmans fingersare apt to e burnt and become callouse'd. Not infrequently, the pressman fails toplace awasher on a 'mold'pin and it drops into the mold and isimproperly' embedded in the heel when the heel is vulcanized, if the press- ;pens. Consequently-the operation of plac-.

pilot pins projectby hand, on the pilot pins' d together with an article ance therewith and a conventional app aratus the small washers upon the 1324, s r al no. 709,512

and tedious one and not only involvesa considerable loss of time, but also a. material loss of heat in filling the-molds for successive curing operations.

- To the end, therefore,

ofv avoiding the ob ving the ashers on the mold pins is a slow my invention; Accordingto it, the washers sity for placing the ashers one by one,. by

hand, on-the pins of the hot molds with con-' sequent saving in time and heat, and enables me to utilize cheaper labor in handling the washers by relieving the pressman, who is a highepaid operative, of this task.

ress room, or indeed'atjsome: factory, the

oaded blanks-being"transported as required to the'press room. I r .4

My invention therefore involves not'only a novel method, of loading or Washing the Moreover, I this permits the ;heel blanks to be ,1 loaded in some room remote-from the ghot uncured heel blanks, but also provides a' novel 51131016 of manufacture consls t ng of asubstantially" un'vulcanized; rubber heel blank in which the fastener receiving mem-' bers or washers are located therein in substantiallythe positional relationship which it is desired to have them bear in the finished heel prior to performing the usual molding and the blank. v

-The method o-fypracticing my invention,

for --carrying out the principles involved, is

vulcanizing operations on i to each other produced in ac'corddescribed and illustratediin the accompany-.

ing specification and drawings, and the characteristic f.eatures;of. novelty are particularly pointed, out in the appended claims. drawings like reference characters areflem- 'ployed to indicate corresponding part-sfand in' the drawings:

Fig. '1 is an elevation unvulcanized rubber heel blank or biscuit the molding and vulc'anlzing operaprior to Throughout the specification; and i of- ,a substantially tions and showing a'seriesof-nail receiving a washers properly located therein.

Fig 2 is a section/on the line 2- 2 of Fig.1. r

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of conventional apparatus for inserting the washers in the unvulcanizedheel blank.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section through a vulcanizing mold of conventional type and showing the loaded heel blank positioned therein, and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section through the finished heel.

I haveindicated at 1 an uncured or semicured rubber heel blank or biscuit which is formed in the customary manner by running the rubbercomposition into sheets of suitable thickness and dieing out the heel blanks from this stock. According to my invention the nail receiving members, here shown as washers 2, are blank 1 in substantially the spaced relation ship which it is desiredto have these waslr ers occupy in the finished heel before the blank ismolded and vulcanized.

This may be accomplished either by anchoring the washers on the surface of the heel blank or by definitely lodging said Washers in receiving apertures 3 of suitable depth formed in the blanln Where lodged in apertures, such apertures maybe either formed in the heel blank preliminarily to inserting the washers, or the apertures may be formed therein simultaneously with the insertion of the washers and by the washer insertion devices themselves.

With any of the foregoing suggested methods, however, it is possible to accurate- 1y load the heel blank with washers preparatory to the molding and vulcanizing operations and independently of the molds themselves. r a

For the purposes of this application and purely as illustrative of one of the variety of possible methods of achieving the results set forth hereinbefore, I have shown the heel blank as having been provided with the required number of properly spaced washerretaining apertures preliminary to the washer-inserting operation. These apertures maybe formed by any suitable apparatus. The uncured heel blank with the washer-receiving apertures formed therein, is

supported either singly or in groups on a relatively fixed support 41 (Fig. 3) which is provided with suitable cavities 60 for receivingthe individual heel blanks. 2 are inserted into the apertures 3 of the heel blanks by a plurality of reciprocating washer pick-up devices 58 which operate to transfer the washers from any suitable Washer sup-porting plate, upon which they have been previously placed, to the heel The pick-up devices 58' are so spaced relative to each other as to position the washers in the blank in substantially the relationship which they mustbear to each ,other in the finished heel.

The pick-up devices 58 enter the blanks positioned in the V subjected to heat and pressure,

The washers with the walls of the cavities which are slightly smaller in diameter than said'rim S.

The loaded blanks may now be removed from the blank support ll and transferred to the press room and subjected to the usual molding and vulcanizing operations. In such operations, the loaded blanks are placed between the open male and female sections, M and F, respectively, of a multi-cayity' vulcanizing mold of standard type (Fig.4 with the openings of the washers 2 inline with the pilot pins P of the male section of the mold so that when the mold is closed and placed in the vulcanizing oven and the blanks said pins will pass through said washers and form in the finished heels H (Fig. 5, the nail receiving openings 4:. Obviously, my invention is capable of considerable modification in practice, according to the particular conditions of manufacturing procedure prevalent in different factories, and hence such'modi- 'fications in method or article as fall within the spirit and scope of my invention are to be regardedas within the limitsof the appended claims 7 VVh-at I therefore claim and desire to se cure by Letters Patent is: g

1. An article of manufacture consisting of a rubber heel blank carrying a series of fastening receiving washers arranged in sub,-

stantially the positional"relationship whichit is desired to have said washers bear to each other in the finished heel,

2. An article of manufacture consisting of a substantially unvulcanized rubber heel blank having a series of fastening receiving washers contained within the'body thereof in substantially the positional relationship whichit is desired to have said washers bear to each other in the finished heel.

'3. That improvement in the process of manufacturing rubber heels having nail receiving washers. embedded therein, which consistsrin securing the washers in a rubber heel blankin substantially the positional relationship which it is desired to have them bear to each other in the finished heel, subsequently placing said blank in a heel mold,

and then performing the molding and vulcanizing operations on the blank while holding said washers in said relationship.

4. That step in the process ofv manufacturing rubber heels having nail receiving washers embedded therein, which consists in securingthe washers in the surface of an unvulcanized rubber heel blank prior 'to the molding of the heel and in substantially the positional relationship which it is desired 1 to have saidwashers bear to each other in the finished heel. j

5. The method of manufacturing rubber heels which consistsin forming apertures in ertures, said retained therein, and curing said heel blank with said washers so retained.

I 6. The method of assembling nail washers in rubber heel blanks which consists in forma frictionally engaged .20

' dered pins in said and said support together to ing apertures in the heel blank slightly smaller in diameter than the washers, supporting the washers upon supports in registering relation to said apertures, and pressing said heel blank and washer supports together to cause said washers to enter said apertures, the rims of said washers being by the walls of said apertures and retained therein.

7. The method of manufacturing rubber heels which consists of forming washerreceiving apertures in the heel blank, su porting washers upon supports to register with said apertures, pressing said heel blank cause said washers to enter said apertures,tl1e walls of said apertures being adapted to engage and retain said Washers, separating said heel blank and said washer supports, placing said heel blank with itsretained washers in a mold with said washers resting upon shoulmold, and subj ecting" said mold to heat and pressure to cause the material of the blank to completely fill the mold and surround said pins and said-wash, ers, i

8. That improvement in the process of manufacturing a rubber ceiving washers embedded therein, which consists in locating the washers within the body of an unvulcanlzed rubber heel blank in substantially the positional relationship ing . aperture with heel having nail rewhich it is desired tohave them bear to each other in the finished heel, subsequently placing said blank in a heel mold, and then performing the molding and vulcanizing operations on the'blank while ers in said relationship. v

9. That improvement inthe art of manufacturing a rubber heel having nail receivwashers embedded therein, which consists in anchoring the washers to the body of an unvulcanized rubber heel blank in substantially the positional relationship which it is desired'tohave them bear to each other in the finished Washers to be withdrawn from said supports with said heel blank. i 7

1 1 The method of causing a washer to be retained in an aperture in soft, resilient rubber prior to placing the rubber in a cur-- ing mold, which} consists of forming the washer slightly, larger in diameter than said aperture, and pressing the washer into said the rim of thewasher expanding the wall of the aperture'where it is yieldingly held by the elasticity of the rubber.

holding said wash-- heel, subsequently placing a, I said blank in a heel mold, and then performadapted to engage v In testimony whereof I aiii-X signature. LEO s. WHITEHEAD. 

